The dating of Marqe

copyright 2008 Stephan Huller

by Rory Boid (personal correspondence)

Current Samaritan tradition puts Marqe in the tie of Baba but without any evidence. As far as I can make out the earliest statement to this effect is in A.F. at 133: 11-12 and the Tulida (= Chronicle Neubauer) on p. 404 (French translation p. 441). However, as Ben H.ayyim says (vol. 3 part 2 p. 15) this is a mere bare mention of the name of Marqe, and it would have been expected that much much more would have been said. The deafening silence is inexplicable if Marqe really lived at that time! The bare statement is a mere guess. After the mention of someone called ‘Amram in a list of administrators, it says ONLY AS A CASUAL REMARK that this ‘Amram was the father of Marqe. The Tulida (but not A.F.) says this ‘Amram was the same person as Tût.a the father of Marqe. Well, if Marqe was like Moses, he had to be the son of ‘Amram!! The first person called ‘Amram that could be found has been seized on. This is repeated in the Comprehensive History written by Finaas bin Is.aaq (Hebrew) = Khad.r bin Ish.âq (Arabic) in 1875. Chronicle Adler derives from this book and is not an independent witness.

THIS FICTITIOUS CASUAL REMARK IS THE ONLY (supposed) HISTORICAL INFORMATION ABOUT MARQE IN THE WHOLE SAMARITAN TRADITION.

Yes, the Tulida calls Marqe BDW’H DH.KMTH the originator of wisdom and A.F. calls him the spring of wisdom. I think this to be an old traditional title. This is genuine even if the dating is rubbish.
I don’t think I expressed how unfocussed on Marqe this note is. Here is a translation. In a list of district administrators: Ye’usha the son of Baraq the son of ‘Adan was given [the area] from Kafar ‘Allol to Bit Shabaṭ. The Priest with him was ‘Amram the son of Sered. (This ‘Amram is Ṭûṭa the father of Marqe the originator of wisdom peace to his spirit amen).

[Then the next person on the list].

This note is a guess. The title given to Marqe seems older than the note. To turn this round: It is amazing that nothing is said about what Marqe did or composed anywhere in the Samaritan written records. Of the previous main author ‘Amram Dâre nothing whatsoever is said. That he was before Marqe seems to be known only by notes in the mss. of the liturgy. We know Marqe wrote certain hymns only from the headings to the hymns. We only know he wrote the Tîbat Marqe because the headings to the mss. say so. The name of Marqe’s father Ṭûṭa and the fact that Ninna was his son is only known from headings to hymns. Anything else can only be a guess from the content of the hymns. THIS ABSENCE OF INFORMATION INDICATES DELIBERATE OBSCURING OF DATES AND EVENTS.